My Collectibles: The Dark Night

Showing posts with label The Dark Night. Show all posts

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Batman

DC Comics Cold Cast Porcielan Collectible Batman

Sculpted By Holby Jukes :-)) Limited Edition of 6000

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It began with the forging of the great rings.
Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings.
Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.
And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else, desire power.
For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race.
But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master ring, to control all others.

Rings 1

The story begins with Bilbo Baggins and his upcoming one hundred eleventh-birthday party. Although Bilbo is getting old, he has not changed at all in 61 years, and many people notice and wonder about this. However, Bilbo's cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins, whom he adopted twelve years before, do not think this is unusual. Instead, Bilbo and Frodo are excellent friends and even share the same birthday, meaning that Frodo is turning 33 and coming of age the same day that Frodo is turning one hundred eleven years old.
As the party draws nearer, Gandalf the wizard arrives, much to the excitement of the hobbits in The Shire. This is because he is carrying a cartload of fireworks for the party, and his fireworks displays are legendary.

Rings 2

The story picks up seventeen years later. Gandalf has visited Frodo several times in those years, but he has not been to The Shire in nine years. However, in his previous visits, Gandalf was very interested to note that Frodo, like Bilbo, did not seem to age at all.
Frodo's two best friends are Peregrin "Pippin" Took and Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck. The three of them are frequent companions and walk all over The Shire together, though Frodo is anxious to travel farther. However, he cannot bring himself to leave The Shire quite yet.

Rings 3

As the days stretch on toward autumn, Gandalf tells Frodo that Frodo should leave soon. Anxious to go, but not anxious to leave The Shire, Frodo decides to leave on his and Bilbo's birthday and he will head to Rivendell, where Bilbo went. However, in order to keep the actual business of his journey secret, Frodo hides his intentions by selling his home to the Sackville-Bagginses and telling everyone except Sam that he will be moving closer to his old family.
As everyone prepares to leave, Gandalf suddenly has to respond to an urgent message and leaves in a rush. Gandalf promises to travel with Frodo but when Frodo's birthday finally arrives, Gandalf has not yet returned.

Rings 4

Frodo, Sam and Pippin wake up in the woods to find that the elves are gone, and that they have left no trace of their existence except for some food. Fortunately, the food makes for a very enjoyable breakfast and the hobbits set out again, this time on a shortcut through the woods. Though they nearly have a run-in with one of the Black Riders, their trip is uneventful.
After traveling through the woods all day, they finally come to Farmer Maggot's house. Though Frodo is terrified of Farmer Maggot and his dogs, Pippin knows him well and trusts him. Much to Frodo's alarm, they are given a scare by Maggot's dogs when they enter Farmer Maggot's land.....

Rings 5

The hobbits cross the river on the ferry. When they arrive at the farther bank, they see a black-cloaked shape sniffing the ground on the other side. Without explaining things to Merry, the hobbits quickly depart. Soon enough, the hobbits arrive at the house that Frodo bought. Frodo, Pippin and Sam explain to Merry and Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger what happened with the Black Riders on the way. Instead of being horrified, however, Merry is disappointed that he missed an adventure.
Then, as the hobbits are sitting comfortably by the fire, Frodo decides that it is time to tell his friends that he and Sam will be leaving the Shire.

Rings 6

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin leave early in the morning and look for the gate in the hedge that protects Buckland from the Old Forest. Finally finding it, they lead their ponies through the gate and into the trees.
As they walk, Merry explains that the Forest is very alive and very aware of what people are doing in it: The trees will try to drop branches on people's heads and trip them with roots. In fact, the trees even move and change the paths that run through them. Merry also relates the story of how the Forest tried to climb over the hedge into Buckland, but the Bucklanders chopped down several of the trees and built a huge bonfire with the wood in order to ward off the Forest.

Rings 7

The hobbits arrive at Tom Bombadil's house, where Goldberry is waiting for them. She is a gracious host and offers them food and reassurance that they are safe in Tom's house. Unsure of what to make of their new friend, Frodo asks who Tom is. In response, Goldberry explains that "he is" (p.121) and that he is Master. Then she goes on to tell Frodo that Tom is fearless and has never been caught. However, he does not master the woods, waters and hillsthey belong to themselves. Instead, he is his own master, subject to no one and nothing.

Rings 8

After the hobbits leave Tom's house, they happen across Goldberry as she stands on a hill. Meeting the four travelers, she tells them to travel quickly and safely through the Barrow-downs. The hobbits begin to cross the Barrow-downs quickly but, because they are making good time, they stop for lunch on top of a barrow. Unfortunately, they fall asleep and wake up to find that they are surrounded by dense fog. Realizing their plight, the hobbits quickly set out to travel through the fog, but they are separated.

Rings 9

The hobbits arrive at Bree, where both men (known to the hobbits as Big Folk) and hobbits live. After the hobbits convince the gatekeeper to let them in, they head toward the Prancing Pony for a room. However, soon after the hobbits enter Bree, a dark figure jumps over the gate, following them.
The hobbits arrive at the Prancing Ponyan inn run by Barliman Butterburand ask for a room. However, Barliman is rushing about in all directions and barely has time to sign them in. Then, when Frodo gives his assumed name, Barliman seems to think that the name Underhill is important, but he cannot remember why. Therefore, he just shrugs it off and shows the hobbits to their room, and he gives them their dinner in their parlor.

Rings 10

Frodo, Sam and Pippin return to their room and stir the fire back to life before they notice that Strider is in the room with them. Since they have an agreement to meet, Frodo asks Strider about the information that may be important to them. However, Strider says that he will only give up information for a price: that he be allowed to act as guide on their journey. Still wary, Frodo does not agree to his price. This actually pleases Strider, because it shows him that Frodo is finally learning to be cautious.
Strider explains that he followed the hobbits after they got back on the road by the Barrow-downs and he sneaked over the gate after them.

Rings 11

The story returns to the Shire, where Fatty Bolger is staying at the house Frodo purchased. Three Black Riders attack the house, but Fatty escapes from a back door and alerts everyone.
Back in Bree, Aragorn wakes the hobbits and shows them the slashed sheets and blankets in their room: The Black Riders had attacked in the night. Seeing this, Strider and the hobbits decide to leave at once.
Unfortunately, they cannot leave right away because their ponies were stolen and they have to walk. Now, instead of leaving early and unnoticed, they cannot leave until noon, towing an overpriced, underfed baggage-pony purchased from Bill Ferny.
The company leaves Bree and stays off the roads, trying to leave the Riders behind.

Rings 12

Frodo wakes up next to the fire. Sam, Pippin and Merry tell him that Aragorn chased off the Black Riders, but they do not know where he is. Soon, Aragorn returns, checks Frodo's wound and leaves to return with healing herbs known as athelas. Then, as Aragorn searches the ground around the camp, he finds a cursed knife on the ground. Part of the blade has been chipped off, meaning that it is in Frodo's wound and moving inward. Then, as Aragorn holds the knife, the blade dissolves in his hand.
The company quickly sets out for Rivendell. They continue travelling through the countryside and woods for several days, though Frodo's wound hurts increasingly every day. Eventually, they meet the elf Glorfindel on the road and he helps them on their journey.....

Rings 13

After four nights and three days, Frodo wakes up in a bed in Rivendell to see Gandalf sitting by his bed. Gandalf explains that he was late because he was held captive, though he does not say anything further about his imprisonment.
Gandalf then explains to Frodo that the Black Riders are the nine Ringwraiths who are under the control of Sauron and that Strider and the rest of the Rangers are Men of the West or Númenoreans. Frodo asks if the Riders were killed in the Ford, but Gandalf tells him that only their horses were killed; the Wraiths cannot be killed that easily.
Continuing the tale of everything that Frodo missed, Gandalf tells Frodo that, while he was asleep, Elrond removed a shard of a Morgul-knife

Rings 14

Rings 15

Elrond sends out scouts to find the Black Riders and make sure that they are nowhere near Rivendell. Meanwhile, everyone has to wait and see what to do next. Elrond decides that there will be nine people travelling with Frodo and tells Merry and Pippin that the Fellowship of the Ring consists of Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo and Sam so far. Elrond wants two more warriors to travel with Frodo, but Merry and Pippin promise that either they will go along or they will be sent home bound up in sacks. In the mean time, preparations for the quest move forward. Aragorn's sword is re-forged and renamed Andúril. As well, Bilbo gives Frodo a sword, Sting, which senses orcs, as well as an indestructible mail corselet

Rings 16

The Fellowship decides to move forward through Moria. Everyone but Gimli the dwarf is frightened of the place, but no one sees another choice.
As they wait for morning, a pack of wolves attacks the Fellowship. The Company fights them off valiantly, and Gandalf shows his power by setting the woods on fire. However, in the morning, the bodies of the wolves are gone, showing that the wolves were not normal wolves. In fact, they were agents of Sauron. The Company travels to the gates of Moria as quickly as possible in order to escape the wolves and, as they near the entrance, they see a large pool standing in front of the entrance. Since a pony will not be able to travel through Moria, they send Bill off

Rings 17

Gandalf finds a book that tells of Balin's return to Moria. The book is filled with accounts of their return to Moria and battles they fought against the orcs. Continuing on, he reads how the orcs pushed them back and trapped them in that very room. Then, on the final page, the book says there were "drums, drums in the deep," and then "they are coming" (314).
After reading through the contents of the book, Gandalf gives the book to Gimli for safekeeping. However, the Fellowship hears drums coming from the deep and they realize that they are trapped. Fortunately, there are two exits to the room and the orcs are only at one door, so they slam one door shut and wedge it closed.

Rings 18

With Gandalf gone, Aragorn takes over the leadership of the company. They leave the gates of Moria behind as quickly as possible because the orcs might come after them at night. However, as they enter the valley, Gimli takes Frodo to the Kheled-zâram, a large pool of water that mirrors the mountains and the stars, even when the sun is shining.
The Fellowship travels on, but Frodo and Sam fall behind. Remembering that they were injured in the fight, Aragorn makes everyone sit down and rest. However, as they recall the fight, everyone wonders how Frodo survived being hit squarely with a spear. Their questions are answered when, in order to check for wounds, Aragorn removes Frodo's shirt and sees the mithril corselet underneath. Stunned at the sight of the brilliant workmanship

Rings 19

The elf Haldir guides the Company to Caras Galadhon, where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel live. Once they enter the city, they climb up to the hall of Celeborn and Galadriel, where each member of the Fellowship is welcomed warmly. However, seeing their numbers, the two elves mention that they thought there were nine members of the Fellowship. Reluctantly, they report Gandalf's death in Moria and all the elves there are saddened by the news. However, Celeborn is so angered by the news that he speaks harshly about the dwarves and the fact that they dug so deep into the mountain. However, Galadriel gently rebukes her husband for his words, and then speaks to Gimli about Moria in the dwarvish tongue.

Rings 20

The party is set to move on from Lothlórien. Celeborn offers the opportunity for any of them to stay there rather than go on but everyone wants to continue with the quest. However, they must choose which side of the River Anduin to travel on. The west side of the river will take them to Minas Tirith and the east side will take them to Mordor. Since Aragorn has not decided which side of the river to take, Celeborn offers them boats for the journey. Then they sit down and try to figure out which way to go but during their conference, Boromir eyes Frodo in a way that makes Frodo very uneasy.

Aragorn

The last descendant of the kings of the west, Aragorn, named Estel (Hope) by his mother, was born in the northwest of Middle Earth. (Aragorn is variously known as Strider, Thorongil, Estel and Elessar.) There his kinsmen and people had dwindled to a small clan of hardy, relatively long-lived men and women. His father was killed soon after his birth; Aragorn was raised in Rivendell, the last secret hope of his people. He has spent his adult life, like the other men of his people, as a Ranger, protecting the northwest lands of Middle Earth (particularly the Shire, since the finding of the Ring) from the threat of Sauron. He has ridden under an assumed name with the riders of Rohan and fought under an assumed name—Thorongil—in Gondor.

Batman

Unlike many superheroes, Batman has no superpowers and instead relies on "his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess." Batman is physically at the peak of human ability in dozens of areas, notably martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape artistry. Intellectually, he is just as peerless; Batman is one of the world's greatest scientists, engineers, criminologists, and tacticians, as well as a master of disguise, often gathering information under the identity of Matches Malone. He is regarded as one of the DC Universe's greatest detectives. Rather than simply outfighting his opponents, Batman often uses cunning and planning to outwit them. In Grant Morrison's first storyline in JLA, Superman describes Batman as "the most dangerous man on Earth," able to defeat a team of superpowered aliens all by himself in order to rescue his imprisoned teammates.

Batman

Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child, Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime.[1] Batman operates in the fictional American Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his sidekick Robin and his butler Alfred Pennyworth, and fights an assortment of villains influenced by the characters' roots in film and pulp magazines. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, and intimidation in his war on crime.

Batman Costume

Batman's costume incorporates the imagery of a bat in order to frighten criminals. The details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through various stories and media, but the most distinctive elements remain consistent: a scallop-hem cape, a cowl covering most of the face featuring a pair of batlike ears, and a stylized bat emblem on the chest, plus the ever-present utility belt. The costumes' colors are traditionally blue and grey although black or black with dark blue highlights are frequently substituted for the blue. Batman's gloves typically feature three scallops that protrude from the sides. A yellow ellipse around the bat logo on the character's chest was added in 1964, and became the hero's trademark symbol, akin to the red and yellow "S" symbol of Superman. The overall look of the character, particularly the length of the cowl's ears and of the cape, varies greatly depending on the artist. Dennis O'Neil said, "We now say that Batman has two hundred suits hanging in the Batcave so they don't have to look the same . . . Everybody loves to draw Batman, and everybody wants to put their own spin on it.

Bat Equipment

Equipment
Batman utilizes a large arsenal of specialized gadgets in his war against crime, the designs of which usually share a bat motif. Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox with creating the concept of Batman's arsenal with the introduction of the utility belt in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939) and the first bat-themed weapons the batarang and the "Batgyro" in Detective Comics #31 and #32 (September; October, 1939). Batman's primary vehicle is the Batmobile, which is usually depicted as an imposing black car with large tailfins that suggest a bat's wings. Batman's other vehicles include the Batplane (aka the Batwing), Batboat, Bat-Sub, and Batcycle. All mostly found in the Batcave.
In proper practice, the "bat" prefix (as in batmobile or batarang) is rarely used by Batman himself when referring to his equipment, particularly after some portrayals (primarily the 1960s Batman live-action television show and the Super Friends animated series) stretched the practice to camp proportions. The 1960s television series Batman has an arsenal that includes such ridiculous, satirical "bat-" names as the bat-computer, bat-scanner, bat-radar, bat-cuffs, bat-pontoons, bat-drinking water dispenser, bat-camera with polarized bat-filter, shark repellent bat-spray, and bat-rope. The storyline "A Death in the Family" suggests that given Batman's grim nature, he is unlikely to have adopted the "bat" prefix on his own.
Batman keeps most of his field equipment in a signature piece of apparel, a utility belt. Over the years it is shown to contain a virtually limitless variety of crimefighting tools. Different versions of the belt have these items stored in either pouches or hard cylinders attached evenly around it.
In some of his early appearances, Batman uses guns (see especially Detective Comics #32, September 1939), but he uses them less over time, later eschewing their use because a gun was used to murder his parents. Some stories relax this rule, allowing Batman to arm his vehicles for the purpose of disabling other vehicles or removing inanimate obstacles. In two stories, The Dark Knight Returns and The Cult, Batman used machine guns loaded with rubber bullets rather than live ammunition. In the 1989 Batman film, firearms figure more prominently in the Dark Knight's arsenal; machine guns and grenades are mounted on the Batmobile, and missiles and machine cannons on the Batwing.

Batcave

Batcave
Main article: Batcave
The Batcave is Batman's secret headquarters, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor. It serves as his command centre for both local and global surveillance, as well as housing his vehicles and equipment for his war on crime. It also is a storeroom for Batman's memorabilia. In both the comic Batman: Shadow of the Bat issue #45, and the 2005 film Batman Begins, the cave is said to have been part of the Underground Railroad. Of the heroes and villains who see the Batcave, few know where it is located. The cave is also home to a large colony of bats which Batman can summon to a scene with a sonic device. Batman also has several little caches throughout the city, linked together through his computer, where he stores extra equipment.

Joker

The Joker has been referred to as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, and the Ace of Knaves. Throughout the evolution of the DC universe, interpretations and incarnations of the Joker have taken two forms. The original and currently dominant image is of a fiendishly intelligent lunatic with a warped, sadistic sense of humor. The other interpretation of the character, popular in the late 1940s through 1960s comic books as well as the 1960s television series, is that of an eccentric but harmless prankster and thief. The 1990s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series blended these two aspects to great acclaim, although most interpretations tend to embrace one characterization or the other.

The Joker

In Batman: Nosferatu, the Joker is the "Laughing Man", a white-faced, murderous creature, a prototype cyborg built by Luthor from one of Dr. Arkham's patients.
In Batman: Bloodstorm, the sequel to Batman's fight with Dracula that resulted in him being transformed into a vampire, the Joker takes charge of the remaining vampires, convincing them that he is a better leader to them alive and thinking long-term than transformed into a vampire and more concerned with his next meal. Under the Joker's leadership, the vampires kill all of Gotham's major crime families, but this makes them easy prey for Batman's daylight allies. The Joker's few remaining vampire allies are killed in a last stand, but the Joker manages to kill Catwoman in the process. Driven mad with grief, Batman breaks the Joker's neck and drains his blood, committing his first murder as a vampire. Horrified by what he has done, Batman flees after staking the Joker, but knows that, in his last breath, the Joker has won by turning Batman into a murderer.
In JLA: The Nail, the Joker is given access to Kryptonian weaponry by the altered Jimmy Olsen, using it to kill Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson right in front of Batman. However, Joker loses his concentration when Catwoman intervenes, allowing Batman to escape. Batman, driven to the brink of madness with grief and rage, kills the Joker on the roof of Arkham Asylum. In the sequel, JLA: Another Nail, they have a rematch in Hell.
In Batman: Leatherwing, the Joker is a sadistic 18th century pirate known as "The Laughing man", although he is called Joker several times in the dialogue.
In Batman: In Darkest Knight, where Bruce Wayne is chosen as Green Lantern instead of Hal Jordan, he easily averts the accident that initially transformed the criminal who was once the Red Hood into the Joker. Later, Sinestro uses his power ring to absorb Joe Chill's mind, the strain apparently causing him to become somewhat deranged, effectively filling the role of the Joker in the story.
In the future setting of Kingdom Come, the now middle-aged Joker, having killed several staff members at the Daily Planet (Perry White, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen among them), is arrested by the police. Before he can be prosecuted, he is killed by Magog, an act which eventually leads to the main storyline of Kingdom Come. The series also includes a character called Joker's Daughter II. The graphic novel version lists each of the characters that appear in each chapter, and states that she is "one of many to follow the Joker's chaotic style".
Another female Joker appeared in Batgirl and Robin: Thrillkiller, written and drawn by Howard Chaykin and Dan Brereton and published in 1997-98. Set in 1962-64, it has Batgirl, her lovers Robin, and Batman, taking on corrupt establishment figures rather than all-out criminals. Their main enemy is the Joker-like Bianca Steeplechase who is assisted by a team of corrupt cops led by the Two-Face-like Detective Duell. As part of her bid to rule the Gotham criminal underworld, she also beds the local mayors. Harley Quinn appears in this Elseworld adventure as a late adolescent schoolgirl. Arkham is implied to be a drug rehabilitation center.
In the Elseworlds novel Batman: Two Faces, the Joker takes the role of both Jack the Ripper and Mister Hyde, becoming the exact opposite of Batman.
In Gotham by Gaslight, Joker makes a cameo appearance. He is a thief who attempted suicide with strychnine when he was about to be apprehended by the police. His failed attempt left him disfigured and insane.
In Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, set after the death of the original Joker, a second Joker arises and kills several superheroes before fighting an elderly Batman and his new sidekick Catgirl. The second Joker is revealed to be Dick Grayson, the original Robin, driven mad from extensive and radical gene therapy given by Lex Luthor's regime.
In the graphic novel Batman: Detective No. 27, two alternate versions of the Joker appear: Professor Josiah Carr, an insane member of the Confederacy responsible for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, who plots the destruction of America; and Jack Napier, one of the two thugs responsible for the death of Wayne's parents, and pawn of the late Carr's scheme. Both speak the line "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?", taking inspiration from the earlier film interpretation of the character.
In JSA: The Liberty Files The Joker is "Jack the Grin", an albino arms dealer who is on the run after intercepting a Nazi radio message regarding Hitler's secret weapon. Jack, knowing he's a marked man, tries to dye his hair brown but it turns green. He goes into hiding, only to be caught by allied forces. While being transported back to the states by plane, the aircraft is shot down over Egypt. Suffering from slight amnesia, Jack shambles his way to a safe house. The US government sends Batman, Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite to apprehend him before he falls into Nazi hands.
In Planetary/Batman: Night On Earth, the Joker of the Wildstorm universe is actually a sane - if slightly giggly - Planetary operative called Jasper, who works with that universe's Dick Grayson.
In Batman: I, Joker, the Gotham City of the future is ruled by a cult who worships Batman and his descendant, the Bruce. Once every year, there are challengers who try to usurp the rule of Batman, but even worse, this Bruce has people taken off the street and has them turned into Batman's old enemies complete with their memories. The newest Joker, Joe Collins, was able to maintain his original memories, and dons a Batman outfit alongside a new Robin to try and destroy the cult.
In Superman: Speeding Bullets, in which baby Kal-El of Krypton is adopted as Bruce Wayne and grows up to be a super-powered Batman, Lex Luthor suffers an industrial accident and becomes The Joker.
In All-Star Batman and Robin, the Joker is a melancholy serial killer, responsible for the murder of Dick Grayson's parents. This version sport a large tattoo of a dragon on his back,similair to the Yakuza, has a neo-nazi hechwoman named "Bruno", and is shown to be scheming with Catwoman. He has has commited sex crimes with several women.

Arkham

Grant Morrison's graphic novel Arkham Asylum suggests that the Joker's mental state is in fact a previously unprecedented form of "super-sanity," a form of ultra-sensory perception. It also suggests that he has no true personality of his own, that on any given day he can be a harmless clown or a vicious killer, depending on which would benefit him the most. Later, during the Knightfall saga, after Scarecrow and the Joker team up and kidnap the mayor of Gotham City, Scarecrow turns on the Joker and uses his fear gas to see what Joker is afraid of. To Scarecrow's surprise, the gas has no effect on Joker, who in turn beats him with a chair. In Morrison's JLA title, the Martian Manhunter rewires his own brain in order to think like the Joker, and later briefly rewires the Joker's brain to create momentary sanity. In those few moments, the Joker realizes that he had to reevaluate his life and seemed to regret his various murders. He is returned to his usual self soon afterward.

My Collectibles

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Batman

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